Pope Benedict XVI says the next World Meeting of Families will be held in 2015 in Philadelphia.
Benedict announced the venue during a Sunday Mass celebrating the seventh such gathering of families from around the world. The pope sent his greetings to Archbishop Charles Chaput and the Catholics "of that great city" and said he was looking forward to meeting them in 2015.
Officials said it was too early to confirm the papal calendar.
Since becoming pope, Benedict attended a world families meeting in Valencia, Spain, but skipped one in Mexico.